Means to illuminate a controller



April 9, 1935 w. c. EDWARDS 1,997,457

MEANS' T0 ILLUMINATE A CONTROLLER Filed Feb. 15, 1953 M www5@ ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 9, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT Y 1,997,457 MEANS 'ro iluminan: A coN'raoLum William Correll Edwards, Anderson, Ind., al-

signor, by meane assignments, to General Mo' tors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application February 13, 1933, Serial No. 658,508 8 Claims.' (Cl. 2408.16)

This invention relates to instrument panels for This controller element may be the combinaautomotive vehicles, and particularly to means tion lock switch andy coil unit 45 as illustrated for illuminating controller devices mounted in Figs. 1 and 2, or it may be embodied in the thereon. lock'v switch extension type illustrated in Figs.

5 One ofthe objects ofthe inventionistoillumi- 5 and 6, wherein the controller 44a is united 5 nate a key actuated controller ior electrical or with a switch structure 90, the electrical conother devices that may be mounted behind an nections of which are housed by an armored instrument panel of a vehicle. This object is acmeans 92 leading to any essential element of the complished in the disclosed embodiment by exautomotive electrical or other system.

tending the enclosing casing beyond the locked With reference iirst to the disclosure made in l0 position/ of the key actuated controller, and Figs.' 1 to 4finclusiv'e, the controller element thence providing the casing withanaperture that comprises the usual lock switch coil indicated will be disposed behind the instrument panel, yet by 48 which has a mutilated ange, or perhaps in front of the key actuated device when in its a plurality ot tongue-like members I48, bent locked position, and mounting the controller so against a plate 50 secured to a lock casing 52 15 that the case aperturewillfacea source oI-illumihousing a key actuated lock plug 54 to be manation whereby the light rays will pass through nipulated by an appropriate lkey 56. Means the aperture to illuminate the key slot of the are provided for securing or otherwise mountlock.. ing the controller unit to an instrument panel Further objects and advantages of the preswhich is herein embraced in a sleeve or collar 20 ent invention will be apparent from the ifollow4 58 secured to the element 46. Tie bolts 60 passing description, reference being had to the acing through Spacers 52 may be Used fOr mountcompanying drawing wherein various alternains the controller upon the instrument panel tive and optional forms of the present invention 20. In mounting the controller, the extended are clearly shown. end of the case 52 is provided with a rabbeted 25 In the drawing: edge or reduced portion 64 that telescopes with Fig. 1 of the drawing is a fragmentary view oi' or seats within a grommet or bezel ring 66 seran instrument panel of an automotive vehicle cured in an aperture @8.0i the instrument panel, illustrating one adaptation o! the invention. thus making the controller accessible from the Fig. 2 is a sectional view substantially as indifront of the instrument panel. f

cated by the line and arrows 2-2 oi Fig. 1. An instrument lamp or source of illumination Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the con- 42 is installed on the instrument panel and introller casing substantially as indicated by the cludes a lamp socket 'l0 having a lead 12 comline and arrows 3 3 of Fig. 2. municating with a source of energy, which sock- Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View with certain parts etv may be secured by a clip I4 supported from 35 in section illustrating in plan the controller casany convenient part of the instrument panel, as ing substantially as viewed along the line and by the bracket 16 having a lug secured beneath arrows 4 4 of Fig. 2. the clamping nut 18,' by which the control ele- Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a ment 28 is also mounted.

40 modified form 0f controuer with a key actuated The controller of the form illustrated in Figs. 40

device moved to the locked position. 1 and 2 embraces the keyl actuated device 54 Fig. 6 is a similar view of the same modiof the rotary type, that is actuatable by a key cation with the key actuated device moved to 56 to an 0N and OFF position, 0r what may the unlocked position. be termed unlocked and locked positions respec- With particular reference to the drawings, 2li tively. In perfecting the instant invention, the 45 indicates the instrument panel of an automocase 52 has been extended somewhat beyond the tive vehicle having an area. 22 within which are end of the key actuated device 54 so that the grouped several control elements 24, 26, 28, 30 key actuated device is relatively recessed or counand 32, along with indicating instruments 34, tersunk as indicated at 80 in Fig. 2. The case 36, 38 and 40, which instruments are grouped 52 is thence provided withanaperture 82 through i' about a source of illumination 42 whereby said 'a side wall of the same so as to lie between instruments may be illuminated. Recently, it the forward face of the key actuated device 54 has been the practice to mount an additional and the rabbeted edge 64 of the case. In mountcontroller element or unit 44 at some convening the controller unit upon the instrument panel 55 lent point behind the instrument panel 20. the aperture 82 will be disposed behind the pandoing, the light rays from the source 42 will pass.

through the opening 62, and light up the recessed key actuated device 54.

'I'he controller of' the form illustrated in Figs.

5 and 6 is essentially the same in function and' principle as that hereinbefore described, it comprising a casing 94 of tubular form encircled by a sleeveor shell 96 whose forward edge is inset somewhat from the terminating edge to provide a shoulder 98 by which the unit may be mounted upon the instrument -panel 20 as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. In thel disclosed embodiment this is accomplished by threading the end of the casing 94 and passing it through an :aperture of the panel where-it is tted with a shim |02 and a gland nut |04. In this form of the embodiment, a longitudinally movable lock plug or key actuated device. |06 is controlled by a key |06, and operates to reciprocate an element of the lock structure 90 hereinbefore referred to, the switch structure being in OFFposition or in locked position when associated as in Fig. 5, and capable of movement to the 0N or unlocked position illustrated in Fig.

6 upon manipulation of the proper key`.|00. To facilitate this, a spring ||0 is provided within the casing 94 that operates upon a part of. the

- switch structure 90 or the key actuated device |06 or both to project the same to the unlocked position whenever the locking provisions are released. Cooperating with the movable part of the vswitch structure 90, there is included a movable contact ||2 that is actuatable -into position to bridge contact elements ||4 and ||6, or, into a second position to bridge contact elements ||0 and |20, which contact elements are supported by, complementary blocks |22 and |24 secured 'within the end of the casing 94 by a ferrule or cup-like member |26, that operates to secure thereto the armored means 92 through the agency of a coupler device |28.

In this instance, both the casing 94 and its surrounding sleeve 96 are provided with an opening or openings |30 in a manner substantially as illustrated in Fig. 5. This opening |30 is so positioned that it will be wholly contained by the portion of the casing to the rear of the instrument panel 20, and so that at least a portion of the opening will be in advance of the end face of the lock plug |06 when it is moved to its locked or circuit open position as illustrated in Fig. 5. When this controller unit isl mounted upon the instrument panel 20 so that its aperture |30 will face the source or one of the sources of instrument illumination, then the light-rays from said source or sources may enter the aperture |30 to light up the key aperture of the plug |06.

By the instant invention it is made possible for the operator of the automobile to more readily determine the condition of his ignition circuit especially during the darkened hours. It is made easier for him to apply the proper key to the controller device, since he may turn on the in-` strument lamp and immediately the key-way of the key controlled device will be well illuminated, and thus disclose whether or not the controller is in the 0N or OFF position. This is especialy true with respect to the form illustrated in Figs.

and 6 wherein the key controlled device |06A is moved .to the inward position when in the OFF or locked condition, and is moved outwardly when in the unlocked condition. Thus, if the instrument light is turned4 on, the recessed portion of the casing 94 in front of the lock plugl Ill will be illuminated indicating that the controller is in the locked position, and this same space will be darkened if the controller'is in the unlocked position. In both types of controllers it is usual that the keys 56 or |00 may not be removed from their respective lock plugs or key actuated devices when the same are in the unlocked position, but may be removed therefrom only in the controller locked position. This being the case, the absence or presence of the key in the lock will indicate the locked or unlocked condition of the controller, and it is not necessary for the attendant of the automobile to insert his key t'o try the device to see whether it is locked, or to feel around in the dark to ascertain the condition of the controller device, but has only to snap on his instrument lamp to give him a direct indication by illuminated presence or absence of the key inthe controller lock device. If, when theattendant turns on the instrument lamp he notes that the receptacle for the key is without the key,

through, a key actuated controller comprising a/ lock plug carried by the casing and reciprocable along the casing so as to be recessed with respect to the casing end when in the locked position, said casing being apertured through a side wall of the same, and means supporting the casing so that the casing aperture will be behind the invstrument panel and facing the instrument lamp,

said lock plug being illuminated by means of said casing aperture when the said lock plug is in its recessed position,

2. In an automotive vehicle providing an instrument panel with a lamp, the combination comprising, a tubular casing mounted behind the instrument panel and opening therethrough, a key actuated controller comprising a. lock plug retained in the casing and having limited longitudinal movement along the same so as to be recessed with respect to the casing when in a locked position, a side wall of said casing being apertured substantially coexistent with the face of said plugv when in its recessed position, means mountingthe casing at one end so that the side wall aperture is disposed behind the instrument panel and so that the lock plug is accessible through the said panel, said casing being mounted so that the side wall aperture faces the instrument lamp whereby the lock plug may be illu- -minated when it is moved to its recessed position.

3. In an automotive vehicle, the combination comprising, an instrument panel, an instrument lamp mounted behind the panel, a controller mounted behind the panel and comprising a key actuated element movable into a locked and an unlocked position, a casing enclosing the element and guiding its movement in a lineal direction, said element being recessed relative to the end of said casing while in the locked position,

means including an extension of the casing for mounting the controller from the instrument panel so as to be accessible therethrough, the extended portion of said casing being apertured so as to illuminate the key actuated element while in its recessed position and so as to be cov- V ered by the element when it is moved to the unlocked position. Y

4. In an automotive vehicle, the combination comprising, an instrument panel. an instrument lamp mounted behind the panel, a controller mounted behind the panel and comprising a tubu-4 lar case, a key actuated element enclosed by and movable along the case to a locked and unlocked position, said case extending beyond the key actuated element while in its locked position, and means including said case extension for mounting the controller in an aperture in the instrument panel, said case'extension being apertured at a point between the locked position of said element and the part attached to the panel, so as to be disposed behind the instrument panel whereby the key actuated element will be illuminated while in the locked position, but will cover the aperture while in the unlocked position.

5. In an automotive vehicle, the combination comprising, an instrument panel, an instrument lamp mounted behind the panel, a controller mounted behind the panel and comprising a tubular case, a key actuated element slidable along.

the case to a locked position and so that the front end of said element will be recessed with respect to the end of said case when in the locked position, and means including an aperture through said case in front of the element in the locked position for illuminating the key actuated element in one of its positions, the key actuated element shutting ofi the light when in the other position.

6. In an automotive vehicle, the combination comprising, an instrument panel, an instrument lamp mounted behind the panel, a controller mounted behind the panel and comprising a tubular case, a movable element within the case and actuatable linearly into a plurality of positions, said case projecting beyond the element and provided with means securing it to the panel, means admitting light from said lamp to illuminate the element in one of its positions, including an aperture through the projecting portion of the case, and meansl including the movable element for closing the aperture to light when the element is in another position.

7. In an automotive vehicle, a key actuated controller comprising in combination, a tubular case for mounting the controller, a key actuated element movable within the case to a plurality of positions, means .including an extension of the case for mounting the controller, and means providing illumination to the key controlled element including an aperture through the extended portion of the case, said key actuated element covering the aperture when in the released position.

8. In an automotive vehicle, a controller therefor comprising in combination, akey actuated element slidable into a plurality of positions, a case surrounding said element and extending over the end thereof to provide a recess, means for mounting said controller including the extended portion of said case, and means for illuminating the front end of said key actuated element when in its innermost position including an aperture in the extended portion of said case, said key actuated element being movable to a projected position wherein the illumination aperture is closed.

WILLIAM CORRELL EDWARDS. 

